Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nairobi Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nairobi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,259 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $782 in Nairobi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,177 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,273 in Nairobi, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,095 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,764 in Nairobi, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 61% more than Nairobi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Nairobi are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Nairobi 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$208

$5.30 KES 685

125.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$730

$39.40 KES 5,091

6.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$181

$6.67 KES 861

56.22%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.2

$2.48 KES 321

41.53%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 MX$26.39

$0.70 KES 90.9

117.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.85

$0.50 KES 64.9

82.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$52.9

$2.29 KES 296

32.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.1

$2.94 KES 380

48.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.73

$0.93 KES 120

52.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.87

$0.56 KES 73.0

226.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.45

$1.66 KES 214

-1.81%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.20

$1.71 KES 221

48.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$11.70 KES 1,512

-26.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$6.58 KES 850

29.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$5.70 KES 736

89.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$3.04 KES 393

-9.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.00

$1.04 KES 135

38.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.84

$2.11 KES 272

-10.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.77

$1.01 KES 131

114.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.97

$1.07 KES 138

66.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.71

$1.12 KES 145

98.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.60

$0.69 KES 89.6

55.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.79

$0.82 KES 106

31.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.2

$3.02 KES 390

37.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

$11.40 KES 1,473

-8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.34

$2.26 KES 292

-23.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.93

$2.81 KES 363

-8.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.94

$0.74 KES 96.1

-31.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$452

$31.28 KES 4,042

-17.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$55.9

$1.59 KES 205

101.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.55

$1.55 KES 201

61.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.4

$2.98 KES 385

7.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.87

$1.57 KES 203

-19.75%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.7K MX$516.7K

$21.9K KES 2.8M

35.84%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.7K MX$412.2K

$20.1K KES 2.6M

17.56%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$82.0 MX$1,428

$33.83 KES 4,370

142.48%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.73 MX$396

$16.84 KES 2,176

34.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$512

$38.76 KES 5,008

-24.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$908

$42.78 KES 5,528

22.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$321

$20.20 KES 2,610

-8.66%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$85.9

$6.37 KES 822

-22.61%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$202 MX$3,512

$199 KES 25.7K

1.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$90.8K

$8,148 KES 1.1M

-35.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$625

$18.09 KES 2,338

98.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$23.91 KES 3,089

68.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$65.1 KES 8,404

22.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,554

$56.9 KES 7,352

56.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$446 KES 57.6K

112.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,098

$184 KES 23.8K

152.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

$1,145 KES 147.9K

42.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$417 KES 53.9K

186.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.5K

$1,547 KES 199.9K

154.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$111.9K

$894 KES 115.5K

619.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

$425 KES 54.9K

54.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

14.84

-23.05%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $446 in Nairobi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 55% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $39.00 in Nairobi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $206 – making Nairobi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Playa del Carmen vs Nairobi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 61% more than Nairobi, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,888 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,172 in Nairobi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nairobi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 21% less in Nairobi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $202 per month in Playa del Carmen and $199 in Nairobi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nairobi, where all-in costs run around $782, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,259. In Nairobi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nairobi costs $782 versus $1,259 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Nairobi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.